The Waiting Game

It has been a while since I've posted...mainly because not much has changed. We've settled into this new "lifestyle" (if that's what you call it) of Ryan leaving every Monday morning and flying to Ohio for the week. He usually returns late Friday night and stays with us for Saturday and Sunday...only to repeat the whole ordeal again the following Monday. After only two weeks of this, I'm already feeling the monotony. I have gained such respect for those who are single parents, realizing the incredible amount of support that I am missing out on by not having my husband home during the week. I've even seen differences in Lauren and how not having a "daddy" around really affects her. I can't quite play Prince Charming as well as he does, nor am I as good of a wrestler.

Our house has now been on the market for several weeks with no solid offers to speak of. We have people walking through it regularly, but everyone seems to say the same thing...they need a 4th bedroom or bonus room for an office/scrapbooking/workspace. With a growing number of homes listing each week, Sherwood is quickly becoming one of the more saturated cities in the real estate market. The odds are clearly not in our favor.

But, I know He has much to teach both of us through this time - already, we are learning to cherish the moments that we do get as a complete family unit. Hugs and kisses are a little longer and more frequent when you know it has to last you for a whole week. And things that used to seem a "chore" to do are now a joy because I have the chance to serve my husband! Still, all of the challenges of our situation seem to be piling on top of each other and causing me to ponder: Is the Lord testing my patience, endurance, and faith in His plan? When Ryan got the job offer, I was so ready to move. Ready to start a new life and grow our family. Ready to have a great adventure and see what God would do. But, now all He seems to be asking of me is to wait...which is, surprisingly, much more difficult than up and moving across the country (or so it seems).

So, knowing that God is in the business of building my character and teaching me to rely on Him more and more, I am left with just one thing to do - seek Him out daily, ask what He is trying to show me through this experience and pray for the strength to not just "survive" but to live each day purposefully for Him...believing that His timing is the best and remembering His incredible faithfulness.

"He calls his own sheep by name, and leads them out. And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice." (John 10:3-5)

HUGE Answer to Prayer

You all must have been on your knees on my behalf, because the Lord answered the cry of my heart yesterday! As I mentioned in the last blog, I have been struggling to find the right christian preschool for Lauren in NC. I had put in calls to 4 of them that were in the right area and that we could afford. I only heard back from 2 - one was a full-day program, which is not what I was wanting...and the other was too far of a drive and not a long enough program. The other 2 schools, I had left numerous messages with and never heard anything back. I decided to give them one more try on Thursday morning. I finally got through to both of them. One said that they were completely full for the fall 2007 school year. BUT, the last school I spoke to (which had been my first choice all along) told me that I had been leaving messages for the wrong person and that's probably why I never heard back. They were able to connect me with the preschool director and when I asked her if there were any spots for the 3-year-old preschool class, she said, "Oh, I don't think so...I'm pretty sure we are full. But, let me double check. (long pause...) I can't believe this, but we actually have 1 spot available. Wait, let me make sure that's right. (another long pause...) Yes, we have one opening."

I was so thrilled I almost started crying! I knew that God was saving that one spot for Lauren and that was where He wanted her to be. The great thing about this school is that she can continue on there after preschool and through to 8th grade (if we stay in NC that long). They are a member of ACSI and have a 4-star rating (you can check out their website ~ http://www.garrchristian.com/). It will be about a 30-minute drive for me, but she'll only be attending 2 days a week, so I can definitely handle that. I just want to thank all of you who were praying for me, because He heard and answered - GOD IS SO GOOD!!